Sentence Structure

Abstract

In analysing the language of a literary text it is important to have a point of entry into that text, and as suggested in the Introduction the best place to start is with syntax since this leads straight to the heart of a text by exposing its structure. This type of approach should give further leads to follow in the analysis. The structure may be looked at in three ways: the clause elements which go to make up each sentence; the presentation of the content in theme/rheme and topic/comment formats; and the wider organisation of each sentence into declarative, interrogative or imperative patterns. Each of these needs a brief explanation before we proceed to the analysis of particular texts.